Apparatus for determining the amount of certain constituents in gases



I E. H. DE LANY AND s. H. PAYNE. APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE AMOUNT OF CERTAIN CONSTITUENTS INGASES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- I8, 1920.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN H. DE LANY AND STEPHEN H. YAYNE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE AMOUNT OF CERTAIN CON STITUEN TS IN GASES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Application filed October 18, 1920. Serial No. 417,690.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWIN H. DE LANY and STEPHEN H. PAYNE, citizens of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State'of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Determining the Amount of Certain Constituents in Gases,-of which the following is a specification. 1 Y

This'invention relates to apparatus for absorbing gases, and, particularly, to such apparatus adapted to separate and absorb certain constituents of the flue gases of a boiler furnace or the like, such, for example I as carbon dioxid, or any other acid gas de-' rived from different sources.

The-object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which, in addition to the absorbing feature, will measure and record if desired the amount of the gas'absorbed.

The invention consists, essentially, of an absorbing tower adapted. to be partiall filled with an absorbing medium into whic extends a gas inlet, whereby the gas is subjected to the action of said medium for removing the constituent of the gas the amount of which it is desired to measure, recording devices connected with said tower above the level of the absorbing medium therein and with said gas inlet, whereby comparative readings of the pressure in said tower and in said inlet may be made, and means for providing a circulation of absorbing medium in said tower and for wit-hdrawing such medium and unabsorbed gas therefrom, all as will be'hereinafter vexplained and finally claimed.

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated an apparatus embodying the principles of our invention.

In the embodiment shown, the apparatus comprises a supply tank 1 adapted to contain a supply of absorbing medium, such as conveys the flue gases from the, furnace stack, these gases escaping from the jacket through a pipe 7 which leads into the absorbing tower3 to the same depth as the siphon tube 2. By so interposing the heater 4 the absorbing medium in its passage from tank 1 to tower 3 will be heated to the same temperature as the flue gases.

Also extending into the tower 3 but terminating therein at some distance above the ends of the tube 2 and pipe 7 is a suction pipe 8 leading to an aspirator 9 and emptying into tank 1. The aspirator is operated by compressed air, or steam under pressure, which enters the aspirator through a nozzle 10 controlled by a valve 11. By this arrangement it will be seen that the level of theabsorbing medium in the tower 3 will be maintained constant and coincident, or nearly coincident, with the end of suction p1pe'8. A pump, not shown, may be used lnstead of an aspirator to produce a suction on pipe 8.

The tower 3 and pipe 7 are provided with vacuum gages 12 and 13 respectively, or other indicating and recording or registerlng devices, for a purpose later explained.

In order that the potassium, sodium or calcium or the like carbonate, formed by the reaction of the absorbing medium upon the carbon dioxid of the flue gases may be recovered or removed from the tower and the latter cleaned, we provide a receptacle 14; in the bottom of the tower in which the precipitate will be collected, the cover 15 of the tower being separable from the body thereof so that the body may be detached. emptied and cleaned, and the receptacle 14 with the contained precipitate removed. without disturbing the piping connected with the cover.

The tank 1 is provided with a separable cover 16 whereby access may be had to its interior, and-this cover is rovided with vents 17 which may serve as andles for it.

\Vater may be supplied to the tank 1 through the valved inlet pipe 18, and the reagent used to form the absorbing medium may be lowered into the tank by means of a receptacle 19. here shown as a basket, the water having free access to it and the re- .a ent therein and insurin at all times a saturated solution of absorbing medium.

\Vhen the aspirator is operated by steam,

it is obvious that condensation thereof in the tank 1 will cause the level of the liquid therein to rise, and in order that the level may be maintained constant we provide an overflow pipe 20 which empties into a portable receptacle 21. The medium collected in this receptacle 21 from the overflow of tank 1 may be used for replenishing the supply thereof in the tower 3 after the latter has been emptied and cleaned.

The tank 1 and tower 3 are provided with gage glasses 22 and 23 respectively, by-

action in tube 2 is started by opening valves 11 and 25, and closing valve 26. This creates suction in tower 3 and raises the liquid absorbing medium in tube 2 and causes it to flow into the tower. Once the siphon has started, the valve 26 may be 0 ened to allow the flue gases to pass into the heater and thence through pipe 7 and through the liquid absorbing medium in the tower to, the space therein above the level of said liquid, from whence it is removed and conveyed to tank 1 through pipe 8 and aspirator 9 and may escape through vents 17 and pipe 20. It will be understood that during the passage of the gas through the absorbing medium in the tower, the carbon dioxid will be removed by chemical reaction of the medium therewith, the precipitate depositing in the receptacle 14.

Supposing that, pure air were passed through the pipe 7 and absorbing medium, itis obvious that the resistance to the escape of the air from the end of pipe 7 caused by the liquid surroundin same, would register a greater pressure on t e gage 13 than would show on gage 12. Now, when flue gases are passed through pipe 7 the absorption of the carbon dioxid gas will show an increase in this difference in pressure as recorded by the two gages, and the amount of carbon dioxid gas absorbed may thus be ascertained.

It is obvious that the apparatus is not limitedin its application to the absorption and measuring ofcarbon dioxid, but may be equally advantageously used for measuring other gases capable of being absorbed by a medium suitable for use in the apparatus. And, moreover, although a particular form of apparatus is herein shown and described, it is obvious that various changes may be made in details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

hat we claim is I 1. In gas absorbing apparatus, an absorbing tower adapted to contain an absorbing medium, a gas inlet having its discharge end submerged in said medium, and recording devices connected with said tower and with said inlet whereby differences in pressure in 'said tower and inlet may be ascertained.

2. In gas absorbing apparatus, an absorbing tower adapted to contain a liquid absorbing medium, a gas inlet pipe having its discharge end extending into said tower and submerged in said medium, means connected with said tower and with said inlet pipe whereby comparative readings of pressures in said tower and pipe may be ascertained, and means for providing circulation of said absorbing medium throughout the entire apparatus.

3. In gas absorbing apparatus, an absorbing tower adapted to be partially filled with an-absorbing'medium, a supply-tank for containing a supply of said medium, connections between said tower and tank for conveying said medium from the latter to the former and vice versa, and pressure responsive means for inducing circulation of said medium to and from said tank and tower through said connections for maintaining a predetermined level of said medium' in said tower.

4. In gas absorbing apparatus, an absorbing tower adapted to be partiall filled with an absorbing medium, a supply tank for containing a supply of said medium, means for conveying said medium from said tank to said tower including a heater, means for conveying hot gases from a source of supply to said tower, said means being connected with said heater whereby the medium passing through said heater may be heated to the same temperature as said gases, and means including an aspirator for conveying said medium and a portion of said gases from said tower to said tank.

5. In gas absorbing apparatus, an absorbing tower adapted to be filled to a predetermined level with an absorbing medium, a supply tank for containing a supply of said medium, means affording feed and return conduits between said tank and tower wherebysaid level may be maintained constant, a gas inlet pipe having its discharge end submerged in the medium in said tower whereby gas entering said tower must pass through said medium, a recording device connected with said tower above the level of the mediumtherein, a recording device communicating with said gas inlet pipe, and means in said return conduit for inducing suction in said tower whereby difi'erence in pressure g medium therein, and separate indicating devices communicating with said gas inlet conduit and with said tower above the level of medium therein respectively, for indicatin differences of pressure in said conduit an tower.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures.

EDWIN H. DE LANY. STEPHEN H. PAYNE. 

